Deuteronomy 31 Study Notes
General
What does the LORD tell Moses the people will do after Moses dies (31:16-18)?
Answer: Pursue the gods of Canaan and violate His covenant
At the tent the LORD told Moses that after his death the people would be unfaithful, chasing the idols of the Canaanites, forsaking Him, and violating His covenant (31:16). Then His anger would burn, He would hide His face (withdraw His favor and protection), and many disasters would come, so that the people would ask whether these troubles came because God was no longer among them (31:17-18). God says the reason He would hide His face was their own wickedness in serving false gods (31:18). God knew the future and warned of it in advance, yet the sin and the guilt would be the people's own. The book of Judges records exactly this falling away into Baal worship (Judges 2:11-13). Isaiah explains that it is sin that hides God's face (Isaiah 59:2), and Gideon's question in a time of oppression echoes the people's complaint (Judges 6:13).
- Deuteronomy 31:16-18 (BSB)“And the LORD said to Moses, “You will soon rest with your fathers, and these people will rise up and prostitute themselves with the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will forsake Me and break the covenant I have made with them. On that day My anger will burn against them, and I will abandon them and hide My face from them, so that they will be consumed, and many troubles and afflictions will befall them. On that day they will say, ‘Have not these disasters come upon us because our God is no longer with us?’ And on that day I will surely hide My face because of all the evil they have done by turning to other gods.”The LORD foretells Israel's apostasy after Moses' death and His hiding of His face.
- Judges 2:11-13 (BSB)“And the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals. Thus they forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and they followed after various gods of the peoples around them. They bowed down to them and provoked the LORD to anger, for they forsook Him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.”Judges records Israel forsaking the LORD to serve the Baals and Ashtoreths.
- Isaiah 59:2 (BSB)“But your iniquities have built barriers between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear.”Isaiah says that sins have hidden God's face from His people.
- Judges 6:13 (BSB)““Please, my Lord,” Gideon replied, “if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all His wonders of which our fathers told us, saying, ‘Has not the LORD brought us up out of Egypt?’ But now the LORD has forsaken us and delivered us into the hand of Midian.””Gideon asks why disaster has come if the LORD is with them, echoing the predicted question.
Theological
What does the LORD foretell in 31:16-18 that Israel will do after Moses' death?
Answer: Pursue the gods of Canaan and violate His covenant
The LORD foretells Israel's apostasy with precision: they will prostitute themselves after Canaan's foreign gods, forsake Him, and violate the covenant (31:16). He will respond by hiding His face, and in their distress they will attribute their troubles to God's absence, while the text identifies the true cause as the evil of their idolatry (31:17-18). God's foreknowledge is certain and yet does not diminish Israel's guilt; the warning itself is given for their instruction. Judges 2:11-13 records the fulfillment, Isaiah 59:2 names sin as what hides God's face, and Gideon's complaint in Judges 6:13 echoes the question predicted here.
- Deuteronomy 31:16-18 (BSB)“And the LORD said to Moses, “You will soon rest with your fathers, and these people will rise up and prostitute themselves with the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will forsake Me and break the covenant I have made with them. On that day My anger will burn against them, and I will abandon them and hide My face from them, so that they will be consumed, and many troubles and afflictions will befall them. On that day they will say, ‘Have not these disasters come upon us because our God is no longer with us?’ And on that day I will surely hide My face because of all the evil they have done by turning to other gods.”The LORD foretells Israel's apostasy after Moses' death and His hiding of His face.
- Judges 2:11-13 (BSB)“And the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals. Thus they forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and they followed after various gods of the peoples around them. They bowed down to them and provoked the LORD to anger, for they forsook Him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.”Judges records Israel forsaking the LORD to serve the Baals and Ashtoreths.
- Isaiah 59:2 (BSB)“But your iniquities have built barriers between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear.”Isaiah says that sins have hidden God's face from His people.
- Judges 6:13 (BSB)““Please, my Lord,” Gideon replied, “if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all His wonders of which our fathers told us, saying, ‘Has not the LORD brought us up out of Egypt?’ But now the LORD has forsaken us and delivered us into the hand of Midian.””Gideon asks why disaster has come if the LORD is with them, echoing the predicted question.
General
Where were the Levites told to place the finished law book (31:24-26)?
Answer: Set beside the ark, to serve as a witness
Once Moses completed writing the law in a book, he told the Levites who bore the ark to set the book next to the covenant ark, where it would stay to testify against Israel (31:24-26). The ark itself held the two stone covenant tablets (Exodus 40:20; Hebrews 9:4), so the written law was kept right next to the covenant's central sign. As a witness, it would show Israel's sin when they broke the covenant. Paul similarly says the law holds the whole world accountable to God and makes sin known (Romans 3:19-20).
- Deuteronomy 31:24-26 (BSB)“When Moses had finished writing in a book the words of this law from beginning to end, he gave this command to the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD: “Take this Book of the Law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, so that it may remain there as a witness against you.”Moses finishes writing the law and has the Levites place it beside the ark as a witness.
- Exodus 40:20 (BSB)“Moses took the Testimony and placed it in the ark, attaching the poles to the ark; and he set the mercy seat atop the ark.”Moses placed the Testimony, the tablets of the covenant, inside the ark.
- Hebrews 9:4 (BSB)“containing the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. Inside the ark were the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant.”Hebrews notes that the stone tablets of the covenant were kept inside the ark.
- Romans 3:19-20 (BSB)“Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be justified in His sight by works of the law. For the law merely brings awareness of sin.”Paul teaches that the law holds people accountable to God and exposes sin.
Theological
According to 31:26, where was the written law book to be kept, and for what purpose?
Answer: Set beside the ark, to serve as a witness
The completed law book is placed beside the ark by the Levites who carry it, to stay there as a standing witness against Israel (31:24-26). The covenant tablets were inside the ark (Exodus 40:20; Hebrews 9:4), and the book was kept alongside as the covenant document bearing testimony to its terms. Its function as witness anticipates Paul's teaching that the law silences every mouth, holds the world accountable to God, and brings knowledge of sin (Romans 3:19-20).
- Deuteronomy 31:24-26 (BSB)“When Moses had finished writing in a book the words of this law from beginning to end, he gave this command to the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD: “Take this Book of the Law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, so that it may remain there as a witness against you.”Moses finishes writing the law and has the Levites place it beside the ark as a witness.
- Exodus 40:20 (BSB)“Moses took the Testimony and placed it in the ark, attaching the poles to the ark; and he set the mercy seat atop the ark.”Moses placed the Testimony, the tablets of the covenant, inside the ark.
- Hebrews 9:4 (BSB)“containing the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. Inside the ark were the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant.”Hebrews notes that the stone tablets of the covenant were kept inside the ark.
- Romans 3:19-20 (BSB)“Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be justified in His sight by works of the law. For the law merely brings awareness of sin.”Paul teaches that the law holds people accountable to God and exposes sin.
General
How did the LORD appear when Moses and Joshua came to the meeting tent for Joshua's commissioning (31:14-15)?
Answer: As a cloud pillar at the tent's door
The LORD told Moses that his death was near and that he should bring Joshua to the meeting tent for God to commission him (31:14). When they came, the LORD appeared as a column of cloud standing over the tent's entrance (31:15). Later in the chapter the LORD Himself commissioned Joshua, telling him to take courage and be strong and promising to be with him (31:23). The cloud at the tent's entrance was how God had met with Moses before (Exodus 33:9). Earlier, Moses had placed his hands on Joshua before Eleazar and the congregation (Numbers 27:22-23), and God later repeated His encouragement to Joshua (Joshua 1:9).
- Deuteronomy 31:14-15 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, the time of your death is near. Call Joshua and present yourselves at the Tent of Meeting, so that I may commission him.” So Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves at the Tent of Meeting. Then the LORD appeared at the tent in a pillar of cloud, and the cloud stood over the entrance to the tent.”The LORD calls Moses and Joshua to the tent and appears there in a pillar of cloud.
- Deuteronomy 31:23 (BSB)“Then the LORD commissioned Joshua son of Nun and said, “Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the Israelites into the land that I swore to give them, and I will be with you.””The LORD Himself commissions Joshua and promises to be with him.
- Exodus 33:9 (BSB)“As Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and remain at the entrance, and the LORD would speak with Moses.”The pillar of cloud stood at the tent entrance when the LORD spoke with Moses.
- Numbers 27:22-23 (BSB)“Moses did as the LORD had commanded him. He took Joshua, had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole congregation, and laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as the LORD had instructed through Moses.”Moses had earlier laid hands on Joshua and commissioned him before the congregation.
- Joshua 1:9 (BSB)“Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.””God renews His charge and promise of presence to Joshua after Moses' death.
Theological
In what form did the LORD appear at the meeting tent for Joshua's commissioning (31:14-15)?
Answer: As a cloud pillar at the tent's door
With Moses' death approaching, the LORD summons Moses and Joshua to the meeting tent for the commissioning (31:14) and appears in the cloud column over its entrance (31:15), the same theophanic presence that had marked His meetings with Moses (Exodus 33:9). The commissioning itself is God's act: He charges Joshua to take courage and be strong and promises His presence (31:23). This divine commission complements the earlier laying on of hands before Eleazar (Numbers 27:22-23) and is renewed after Moses' death (Joshua 1:9).
- Deuteronomy 31:14-15 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, the time of your death is near. Call Joshua and present yourselves at the Tent of Meeting, so that I may commission him.” So Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves at the Tent of Meeting. Then the LORD appeared at the tent in a pillar of cloud, and the cloud stood over the entrance to the tent.”The LORD calls Moses and Joshua to the tent and appears there in a pillar of cloud.
- Deuteronomy 31:23 (BSB)“Then the LORD commissioned Joshua son of Nun and said, “Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the Israelites into the land that I swore to give them, and I will be with you.””The LORD Himself commissions Joshua and promises to be with him.
- Exodus 33:9 (BSB)“As Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and remain at the entrance, and the LORD would speak with Moses.”The pillar of cloud stood at the tent entrance when the LORD spoke with Moses.
- Numbers 27:22-23 (BSB)“Moses did as the LORD had commanded him. He took Joshua, had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole congregation, and laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as the LORD had instructed through Moses.”Moses had earlier laid hands on Joshua and commissioned him before the congregation.
- Joshua 1:9 (BSB)“Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.””God renews His charge and promise of presence to Joshua after Moses' death.
General
Why were the whole people, including children and resident foreigners, to be gathered for this reading (31:12-13)?
Answer: So they would hear, learn to fear God, and obey
The reading was for everyone: men and women, boys and girls, and the foreigners living among them (31:12). The purpose was that they would listen, learn the fear of God (honoring Him with reverent awe), and carefully obey the law, and that their children who did not yet know it would also learn to fear Him as long as they lived in the land (31:13). God's word was meant for the whole community and for each new generation. Moses had told parents to teach God's words to their children in daily life (6:6-7), Joshua later read the law to women, children, and foreigners (Joshua 8:35), and Paul reminds Timothy that he had known the Scriptures from infancy (2 Timothy 3:15).
- Deuteronomy 31:12-13 (BSB)“Assemble the people—men, women, children, and the foreigners within your gates—so that they may listen and learn to fear the LORD your God and to follow carefully all the words of this law. Then their children who do not know the law will listen and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as you live in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess.””Everyone, including children and foreigners, is to hear the law and learn to fear the LORD.
- Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (BSB)“These words I am commanding you today are to be upon your hearts. And you shall teach them diligently to your children and speak of them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”Parents were to teach God's words to their children throughout daily life.
- Joshua 8:35 (BSB)“There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua failed to read before the whole assembly of Israel, including the women, the little ones, and the foreigners who lived among them.”Joshua read the law to the whole assembly, including women, children, and foreigners.
- 2 Timothy 3:15 (BSB)“From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”Timothy had known the Scriptures from infancy, which made him wise for salvation.
Theological
What purpose does 31:12-13 give for assembling the entire community, children and sojourners included, to hear the law?
Answer: So they would hear, learn to fear God, and obey
The assembly for the reading is deliberately inclusive: men and women, the young, and resident foreigners (31:12). The stated ends are hearing, learning reverent fear of God, and careful obedience, with particular concern for children still ignorant of the law, so each generation in the land would be formed by it (31:13). The same intergenerational concern shapes 6:6-7; Joshua's reading at Ebal included women, children, and foreigners (Joshua 8:35); and Paul commends Timothy's knowledge of the Scriptures from infancy (2 Timothy 3:15).
- Deuteronomy 31:12-13 (BSB)“Assemble the people—men, women, children, and the foreigners within your gates—so that they may listen and learn to fear the LORD your God and to follow carefully all the words of this law. Then their children who do not know the law will listen and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as you live in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess.””Everyone, including children and foreigners, is to hear the law and learn to fear the LORD.
- Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (BSB)“These words I am commanding you today are to be upon your hearts. And you shall teach them diligently to your children and speak of them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”Parents were to teach God's words to their children throughout daily life.
- Joshua 8:35 (BSB)“There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua failed to read before the whole assembly of Israel, including the women, the little ones, and the foreigners who lived among them.”Joshua read the law to the whole assembly, including women, children, and foreigners.
- 2 Timothy 3:15 (BSB)“From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”Timothy had known the Scriptures from infancy, which made him wise for salvation.
General
When Moses charged Joshua in front of all Israel (31:7-8), what task did he say Joshua would carry out?
Answer: Lead the people in and give them the land as their share
Moses called Joshua and, with all Israel watching, told him to take courage and be strong, because he would go with the people to enter the land God had promised on oath to their ancestors and would divide it among them as their inheritance, meaning their permanent family share (31:7). Moses added that the LORD Himself would go before Joshua and be with him, so he had no reason for fear or dismay (31:8). This public charge made clear to everyone that Joshua was God's chosen leader. God had earlier told Moses to commission Joshua publicly before the congregation (Numbers 27:18-20) and to encourage and strengthen him (3:28). God later repeated the same charge to Joshua Himself (Joshua 1:9).
- Deuteronomy 31:7-8 (BSB)“Then Moses called for Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you will go with this people into the land that the LORD swore to their fathers to give them, and you shall give it to them as an inheritance. The LORD Himself goes before you; He will be with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.””Moses charges Joshua before all Israel and promises that the LORD will go before him.
- Numbers 27:18-20 (BSB)“And the LORD replied to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man with the Spirit in him, and lay your hands on him. Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole congregation, and commission him in their sight. Confer on him some of your authority, so that the whole congregation of Israel will obey him.”God told Moses to commission Joshua in the sight of the whole congregation.
- Deuteronomy 3:28 (BSB)“But commission Joshua, encourage him, and strengthen him, for he will cross over ahead of the people and enable them to inherit the land that you will see.””God had instructed Moses to encourage and strengthen Joshua, who would bring Israel in.
- Joshua 1:9 (BSB)“Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.””God Himself repeats the command to Joshua to be strong and courageous.
Theological
In Moses' public charge to Joshua (31:7-8), what role is assigned to Joshua?
Answer: Lead the people in and give them the land as their share
Moses' charge is public, made before all Israel, and it defines Joshua's office: to go with the people into the sworn land and apportion it among them as their inheritance (31:7). The encouragement rests on God's presence, since the LORD goes before him and will not forsake him (31:8). The public setting echoes God's earlier instruction to commission Joshua before the congregation (Numbers 27:18-20) and to encourage and strengthen him (3:28), and the LORD repeats the charge directly in Joshua 1:9.
- Deuteronomy 31:7-8 (BSB)“Then Moses called for Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you will go with this people into the land that the LORD swore to their fathers to give them, and you shall give it to them as an inheritance. The LORD Himself goes before you; He will be with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.””Moses charges Joshua before all Israel and promises that the LORD will go before him.
- Numbers 27:18-20 (BSB)“And the LORD replied to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man with the Spirit in him, and lay your hands on him. Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole congregation, and commission him in their sight. Confer on him some of your authority, so that the whole congregation of Israel will obey him.”God told Moses to commission Joshua in the sight of the whole congregation.
- Deuteronomy 3:28 (BSB)“But commission Joshua, encourage him, and strengthen him, for he will cross over ahead of the people and enable them to inherit the land that you will see.””God had instructed Moses to encourage and strengthen Joshua, who would bring Israel in.
- Joshua 1:9 (BSB)“Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.””God Himself repeats the command to Joshua to be strong and courageous.
General
After writing down the law, to whom did Moses give it (31:9)?
Answer: The priests who bore the ark, and all the elders
Moses put the law in writing and handed it over to the Levitical priests who bore the covenant ark, and to all of Israel's elders (31:9). The ark was the sacred chest that held the covenant tablets. By putting the written law into the hands of both the religious leaders and the community leaders, Moses made sure God's word would be preserved and taught after his death. Moses had also written down God's words at Sinai (Exodus 24:4), and the law for kings required a future king to copy this law with the Levitical priests present and read it all his life (17:18-19).
- Deuteronomy 31:9 (BSB)“So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel.”Moses writes the law and entrusts it to the priests who carry the ark and to the elders.
- Exodus 24:4 (BSB)“And Moses wrote down all the words of the LORD. Early the next morning he got up and built an altar at the base of the mountain, along with twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel.”At Sinai Moses likewise wrote down all the words of the LORD.
- Deuteronomy 17:18-19 (BSB)“When he is seated on his royal throne, he must write for himself a copy of this instruction on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. It is to remain with him, and he is to read from it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to fear the LORD his God by carefully observing all the words of this instruction and these statutes.”The future king was to copy the law before the Levitical priests and read it all his life.
Theological
To whom did Moses entrust the written law in 31:9?
Answer: The priests who bore the ark, and all the elders
Moses commits the written law to the Levitical priests who carry the ark and to Israel's elders (31:9), placing Scripture in the custody of both the priestly and civil leadership for its preservation and teaching. This continues his earlier practice of writing the LORD's words at Sinai (Exodus 24:4), and it anticipates the requirement that the king write a copy of the law before the Levitical priests and read it all his days (17:18-19).
- Deuteronomy 31:9 (BSB)“So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel.”Moses writes the law and entrusts it to the priests who carry the ark and to the elders.
- Exodus 24:4 (BSB)“And Moses wrote down all the words of the LORD. Early the next morning he got up and built an altar at the base of the mountain, along with twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel.”At Sinai Moses likewise wrote down all the words of the LORD.
- Deuteronomy 17:18-19 (BSB)“When he is seated on his royal throne, he must write for himself a copy of this instruction on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. It is to remain with him, and he is to read from it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to fear the LORD his God by carefully observing all the words of this instruction and these statutes.”The future king was to copy the law before the Levitical priests and read it all his life.
General
What reasons does Moses give in 31:2 for not leading Israel across the Jordan?
Answer: His age of 120 years and the LORD's word to him
Moses tells all Israel that he is now 120 years old, can no longer go out and come in as their leader, and has been told by the LORD that he will not go over the Jordan (31:2). Deuteronomy later confirms that Moses died at 120 (34:7). God had barred him from bringing Israel into the land after the incident at Meribah, where Moses and Aaron did not trust God to show His holiness (Numbers 20:12). Instead, God allowed Moses to view the land from Pisgah and told him to commission Joshua to lead the people in (3:27-28).
- Deuteronomy 31:1-2 (BSB)“When Moses had finished speaking these words to all Israel, he said to them, “I am now a hundred and twenty years old; I am no longer able to come and go, and the LORD has said to me, ‘You shall not cross the Jordan.’”Moses tells Israel his age and that the LORD has said he will not cross the Jordan.
- Deuteronomy 34:7 (BSB)“Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak, and his vitality had not diminished.”Deuteronomy records that Moses was 120 years old when he died.
- Numbers 20:12 (BSB)“But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust Me to show My holiness in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.””God told Moses and Aaron they would not bring the assembly into the land after Meribah.
- Deuteronomy 3:27-28 (BSB)“Go to the top of Pisgah and look to the west and north and south and east. See the land with your own eyes, for you will not cross this Jordan. But commission Joshua, encourage him, and strengthen him, for he will cross over ahead of the people and enable them to inherit the land that you will see.””God let Moses see the land from Pisgah and told him to commission Joshua.
Theological
According to 31:2, why will Moses not lead Israel over the Jordan?
Answer: His age of 120 years and the LORD's word to him
Moses gives two grounds for handing over leadership: his age of 120 years, with which he can no longer go out and come in as their leader, and the LORD's word barring him from crossing the river (31:2). The age is confirmed at his death (34:7), and the divine prohibition goes back to Meribah, where Moses and Aaron failed to trust God to display His holiness (Numbers 20:12). God's severity toward Moses is joined with mercy: Moses may view the land from Pisgah and is to commission Joshua as his successor (3:27-28).
- Deuteronomy 31:1-2 (BSB)“When Moses had finished speaking these words to all Israel, he said to them, “I am now a hundred and twenty years old; I am no longer able to come and go, and the LORD has said to me, ‘You shall not cross the Jordan.’”Moses tells Israel his age and that the LORD has said he will not cross the Jordan.
- Deuteronomy 34:7 (BSB)“Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak, and his vitality had not diminished.”Deuteronomy records that Moses was 120 years old when he died.
- Numbers 20:12 (BSB)“But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust Me to show My holiness in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.””God told Moses and Aaron they would not bring the assembly into the land after Meribah.
- Deuteronomy 3:27-28 (BSB)“Go to the top of Pisgah and look to the west and north and south and east. See the land with your own eyes, for you will not cross this Jordan. But commission Joshua, encourage him, and strengthen him, for he will cross over ahead of the people and enable them to inherit the land that you will see.””God let Moses see the land from Pisgah and told him to commission Joshua.
General
What reason does Moses give Israel in 31:6 for not being afraid of the nations?
Answer: The LORD goes with them and will not abandon them
Moses tells Israel to take courage and be strong and not to be terrified of the nations, because the LORD their God goes with them and will not ever abandon or forsake them (31:6). Their courage was to rest on God's presence, not on their own strength. God repeated this promise to Joshua (Joshua 1:5). The letter to the Hebrews applies this promise to Christians: because God has promised never to abandon or forsake us, believers can be content and say that the Lord is their helper (Hebrews 13:5-6). Jesus gave His disciples a similar promise that He would be with them always (Matthew 28:20).
- Deuteronomy 31:6 (BSB)“Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or terrified of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.””Moses grounds Israel's courage in the LORD going with them and never forsaking them.
- Joshua 1:5-6 (BSB)“No one shall stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so will I be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall give these people the inheritance of the land that I swore to their fathers I would give them.”God repeats to Joshua the promise that He will never leave nor forsake him.
- Hebrews 13:5-6 (BSB)“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said: “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence: “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?””Hebrews applies this promise to believers as the ground of contentment and confidence.
- Matthew 28:20 (BSB)“and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.””Jesus promises His disciples that He will be with them always.
Theological
On what ground does 31:6 command Israel to stand firm and not fear the nations?
Answer: The LORD goes with them and will not abandon them
The command to take courage and stand firm is grounded not in Israel's strength but in God's accompanying presence: the LORD goes with them and will not ever abandon or forsake them (31:6). The promise is reiterated to Joshua (Joshua 1:5) and is applied by Hebrews to the church as the ground of contentment and confidence (Hebrews 13:5-6), showing that God's covenant faithfulness to His people extends to believers in Christ. Christ's own promise of His abiding presence until this age is over (Matthew 28:20) carries the same assurance.
- Deuteronomy 31:6 (BSB)“Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or terrified of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.””Moses grounds Israel's courage in the LORD going with them and never forsaking them.
- Joshua 1:5-6 (BSB)“No one shall stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so will I be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall give these people the inheritance of the land that I swore to their fathers I would give them.”God repeats to Joshua the promise that He will never leave nor forsake him.
- Hebrews 13:5-6 (BSB)“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said: “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence: “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?””Hebrews applies this promise to believers as the ground of contentment and confidence.
- Matthew 28:20 (BSB)“and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.””Jesus promises His disciples that He will be with them always.
General
True or False: The LORD warned that Israel would take up idol worship while suffering hunger and poverty in the land.
Answer: False
This is false. The LORD said that after bringing Israel into the rich land of milk and honey, the people would eat until satisfied and grow prosperous, and then go after other gods, reject Him, and violate His covenant (31:20). The danger was comfort, not hunger. Moses had warned that when Israel ate and was satisfied, their hearts could grow proud and forget the LORD (8:12-14). Hosea describes exactly this pattern (Hosea 13:6), and the Song of Moses pictures Israel growing fat and then abandoning their Maker (32:15).
- Deuteronomy 31:20 (BSB)“When I have brought them into the land that I swore to give their fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey, they will eat their fill and prosper. Then they will turn to other gods and worship them, and they will reject Me and break My covenant.”God foretells that Israel will turn to other gods after eating their fill and prospering in the land.
- Deuteronomy 8:12-14 (BSB)“Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses in which to dwell, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud, and you will forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.”Moses warned that satisfaction and wealth could make Israel's heart proud and forgetful.
- Hosea 13:6 (BSB)“When they had pasture, they became satisfied; when they were satisfied, their hearts became proud, and as a result they forgot Me.”Hosea records that when Israel was satisfied, their hearts became proud and they forgot God.
- Deuteronomy 32:15 (BSB)“But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked—becoming fat, bloated, and gorged. He abandoned the God who made him and scorned the Rock of his salvation.”The Song of Moses pictures Israel growing fat and abandoning the God who made him.
Theological
True or False: According to 31:20, Israel's apostasy to foreign gods would come in a time of famine and want.
Answer: False
This is false. The apostasy of 31:20 is set in abundance: once in the land of milk and honey, Israel will be well fed, grow prosperous, and then go after foreign gods, spurning the LORD and breaking His covenant. Satiety breeds forgetfulness, as Moses warned in 8:12-14, as Hosea diagnoses (Hosea 13:6), and as the Song itself portrays in Jeshurun growing fat and forsaking God (32:15).
- Deuteronomy 31:20 (BSB)“When I have brought them into the land that I swore to give their fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey, they will eat their fill and prosper. Then they will turn to other gods and worship them, and they will reject Me and break My covenant.”God foretells that Israel will turn to other gods after eating their fill and prospering in the land.
- Deuteronomy 8:12-14 (BSB)“Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses in which to dwell, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud, and you will forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.”Moses warned that satisfaction and wealth could make Israel's heart proud and forgetful.
- Hosea 13:6 (BSB)“When they had pasture, they became satisfied; when they were satisfied, their hearts became proud, and as a result they forgot Me.”Hosea records that when Israel was satisfied, their hearts became proud and they forgot God.
- Deuteronomy 32:15 (BSB)“But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked—becoming fat, bloated, and gorged. He abandoned the God who made him and scorned the Rock of his salvation.”The Song of Moses pictures Israel growing fat and abandoning the God who made him.
General
When was the law to be read aloud to all Israel (31:10-11)?
Answer: In the release year, at the fall pilgrim feast
Moses commanded that every seventh year, in the year when debts were canceled, during Tabernacles, the autumn festival when Israel lived in shelters, the law was to be read aloud to all Israel when they gathered at the place God would choose (31:10-11). The seventh year was already the year for releasing debts (15:1), and Tabernacles was the seven-day feast in the seventh month (Leviticus 23:34). Centuries later, after the return from exile, Ezra read God's law aloud day after day during this feast (Nehemiah 8:18).
- Deuteronomy 31:10-11 (BSB)“Then Moses commanded them, “At the end of every seven years, at the appointed time in the year of remission of debt, during the Feast of Tabernacles, when all Israel comes before the LORD your God at the place He will choose, you are to read this law in the hearing of all Israel.”Moses commands the law to be read to all Israel every seventh year at the Feast of Tabernacles.
- Deuteronomy 15:1 (BSB)“At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts.”The seventh year was the year for canceling debts.
- Leviticus 23:34 (BSB)““Speak to the Israelites and say, ‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh month the Feast of Tabernacles to the LORD begins, and it continues for seven days.”The Feast of Tabernacles began on the fifteenth day of the seventh month and lasted seven days.
- Nehemiah 8:18 (BSB)“Day after day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read from the Book of the Law of God. The Israelites kept the feast for seven days, and on the eighth day they held an assembly, according to the ordinance.”Ezra read from the Book of the Law every day of the feast after the return from exile.
Theological
According to 31:10-11, at what occasion was the law to be publicly read?
Answer: In the release year, at the fall pilgrim feast
The public reading was tied to the sabbatical year of release, at the autumn feast of booths, when the whole nation appeared before the LORD at the chosen sanctuary (31:10-11). The occasion joined the year of debt cancellation (15:1) with the autumn pilgrimage feast in the seventh month (Leviticus 23:34). After the exile Ezra read God's law aloud each day of this same feast (Nehemiah 8:18), a later public reading of the law at Tabernacles.
- Deuteronomy 31:10-11 (BSB)“Then Moses commanded them, “At the end of every seven years, at the appointed time in the year of remission of debt, during the Feast of Tabernacles, when all Israel comes before the LORD your God at the place He will choose, you are to read this law in the hearing of all Israel.”Moses commands the law to be read to all Israel every seventh year at the Feast of Tabernacles.
- Deuteronomy 15:1 (BSB)“At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts.”The seventh year was the year for canceling debts.
- Leviticus 23:34 (BSB)““Speak to the Israelites and say, ‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh month the Feast of Tabernacles to the LORD begins, and it continues for seven days.”The Feast of Tabernacles began on the fifteenth day of the seventh month and lasted seven days.
- Nehemiah 8:18 (BSB)“Day after day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read from the Book of the Law of God. The Israelites kept the feast for seven days, and on the eighth day they held an assembly, according to the ordinance.”Ezra read from the Book of the Law every day of the feast after the return from exile.
General
What reasoning does Moses use in 31:27 about Israel's rebellion after his death?
Answer: If they rebel while he lives, it will be worse after
Moses says he knows how rebellious and stubborn Israel is: since they already defy the LORD during his lifetime, their rebellion will be even greater once he is gone (31:27). He gathers the elders and officers, summoning the heavens and the earth to testify, and warns that after his death they will become corrupt, leave the way he commanded, and face disaster for provoking the LORD (31:28-29). He then recites the song to all Israel gathered there (31:30). Moses had already said Israel had been rebellious since the day he knew them (9:24). Judges shows the people growing even more corrupt after each deliverer died (Judges 2:19), and Stephen told the leaders of his day that they were stiff-necked like their fathers (Acts 7:51).
- Deuteronomy 31:27-30 (BSB)“For I know how rebellious and stiff-necked you are. If you are already rebelling against the LORD while I am still alive, how much more will you rebel after my death! Assemble before me all the elders of your tribes and all your officers so that I may speak these words in their hearing and call heaven and earth to witness against them. For I know that after my death you will become utterly corrupt and turn from the path I have commanded you. And in the days to come, disaster will befall you because you will do evil in the sight of the LORD to provoke Him to anger by the work of your hands.” Then Moses recited aloud to the whole assembly of Israel the words of this song from beginning to end:”Moses reasons that Israel's rebellion during his life will worsen after his death, then recites the song.
- Deuteronomy 9:24 (BSB)“You have been rebelling against the LORD since the day I came to know you.”Moses had already said Israel had rebelled since the day he knew them.
- Judges 2:19 (BSB)“But when the judge died, the Israelites became even more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods to serve them and bow down to them. They would not give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.”After each judge died, Israel became even more corrupt than their fathers.
- Acts 7:51 (BSB)“You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did.”Stephen charges Israel's leaders with being stiff-necked and resisting the Spirit as their fathers did.
Theological
What argument does Moses make in 31:27-29 about Israel's future conduct?
Answer: If they rebel while he lives, it will be worse after
Moses argues from the lesser to the greater: Israel's rebellion during his lifetime guarantees worse rebellion after his death (31:27). Before the assembled elders and officers, with heaven and earth as witnesses, he predicts their corruption, their departure from the commanded way, and the disaster that will follow their provocation of the LORD (31:28-29), and then recites the song (31:30). This confirms his earlier verdict of Israel's persistent rebellion (9:24), is borne out in the cycle of Judges (Judges 2:19), and is echoed by Stephen's charge that Israel's leaders were stiff-necked like their fathers (Acts 7:51).
- Deuteronomy 31:27-30 (BSB)“For I know how rebellious and stiff-necked you are. If you are already rebelling against the LORD while I am still alive, how much more will you rebel after my death! Assemble before me all the elders of your tribes and all your officers so that I may speak these words in their hearing and call heaven and earth to witness against them. For I know that after my death you will become utterly corrupt and turn from the path I have commanded you. And in the days to come, disaster will befall you because you will do evil in the sight of the LORD to provoke Him to anger by the work of your hands.” Then Moses recited aloud to the whole assembly of Israel the words of this song from beginning to end:”Moses reasons that Israel's rebellion during his life will worsen after his death, then recites the song.
- Deuteronomy 9:24 (BSB)“You have been rebelling against the LORD since the day I came to know you.”Moses had already said Israel had rebelled since the day he knew them.
- Judges 2:19 (BSB)“But when the judge died, the Israelites became even more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods to serve them and bow down to them. They would not give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.”After each judge died, Israel became even more corrupt than their fathers.
- Acts 7:51 (BSB)“You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did.”Stephen charges Israel's leaders with being stiff-necked and resisting the Spirit as their fathers did.
General
Why did the LORD tell Moses to write down the song and have Israel learn it (31:19-22)?
Answer: So it would testify against Israel in their trouble
The LORD told Moses to write the song and have the people learn and recite it so it would testify on His behalf against them (31:19). When troubles came because of their unfaithfulness, the song, still remembered by their descendants, would testify that God had warned them (31:21). The LORD said He already knew their inclination, the bent of their hearts, even before leading them in (31:21). Moses wrote the song that same day and began teaching it to the people (31:22). God's knowledge of the future is complete (Isaiah 46:9-10), and Scripture elsewhere describes the human heart's inclination as bent toward evil (Genesis 6:5). The song itself follows in chapter 32, and Moses recited it with Joshua before the people (32:44).
- Deuteronomy 31:19-22 (BSB)“Now therefore, write down for yourselves this song and teach it to the Israelites; have them recite it, so that it may be a witness for Me against them. When I have brought them into the land that I swore to give their fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey, they will eat their fill and prosper. Then they will turn to other gods and worship them, and they will reject Me and break My covenant. And when many troubles and afflictions have come upon them, this song will testify against them, because it will not be forgotten from the lips of their descendants. For I know their inclination, even before I bring them into the land that I swore to give them.” So that very day Moses wrote down this song and taught it to the Israelites.”The LORD commands the song as a witness, knowing Israel's inclination, and Moses writes and teaches it.
- Isaiah 46:9-10 (BSB)“Remember what happened long ago, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me. I declare the end from the beginning, and from ancient times what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and all My good pleasure I will accomplish.’”God declares the end from the beginning and what is still to come.
- Genesis 6:5 (BSB)“Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great upon the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was altogether evil all the time.”Genesis describes every inclination of the human heart as evil, the same bent God knows in Israel.
- Deuteronomy 32:44 (BSB)“Then Moses came with Joshua son of Nun and recited all the words of this song in the hearing of the people.”Moses and Joshua recite the song to the people, as commanded here.
Theological
What function does the LORD assign to the song in 31:19-22?
Answer: So it would testify against Israel in their trouble
The song is given as a covenant witness: taught and memorized, it will testify against Israel when judgment comes, since their offspring will keep it on their lips (31:19, 21). The LORD grounds this in His knowledge of their inclination before He even brings them in (31:21), a foreknowledge that is certain but not fatalistic, since the song keeps confronting each generation with the truth. Moses writes and teaches it that day (31:22). God's declaration of the outcome from the start (Isaiah 46:9-10) and the Bible's diagnosis of the heart's evil inclination (Genesis 6:5) stand behind the passage, and 32:44 records Moses and Joshua reciting the song to the people.
- Deuteronomy 31:19-22 (BSB)“Now therefore, write down for yourselves this song and teach it to the Israelites; have them recite it, so that it may be a witness for Me against them. When I have brought them into the land that I swore to give their fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey, they will eat their fill and prosper. Then they will turn to other gods and worship them, and they will reject Me and break My covenant. And when many troubles and afflictions have come upon them, this song will testify against them, because it will not be forgotten from the lips of their descendants. For I know their inclination, even before I bring them into the land that I swore to give them.” So that very day Moses wrote down this song and taught it to the Israelites.”The LORD commands the song as a witness, knowing Israel's inclination, and Moses writes and teaches it.
- Isaiah 46:9-10 (BSB)“Remember what happened long ago, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me. I declare the end from the beginning, and from ancient times what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and all My good pleasure I will accomplish.’”God declares the end from the beginning and what is still to come.
- Genesis 6:5 (BSB)“Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great upon the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was altogether evil all the time.”Genesis describes every inclination of the human heart as evil, the same bent God knows in Israel.
- Deuteronomy 32:44 (BSB)“Then Moses came with Joshua son of Nun and recited all the words of this song in the hearing of the people.”Moses and Joshua recite the song to the people, as commanded here.
General
According to 31:3, who would go over the river ahead of Israel?
Answer: The LORD Himself, with Joshua leading them
Moses assures Israel that the LORD their God would Himself go over before them and destroy the nations, and that Joshua would also lead the way, just as God had said (31:3). God would treat those nations as He had treated the Amorite kings Sihon and Og, and Israel was to treat them exactly as commanded (31:4-5). The victory would be the LORD's; Moses had already told them that God goes before them like devouring fire (9:3). After Moses died, God told Joshua to lead the people across the Jordan (Joshua 1:2), and when the conquest was complete Scripture says not one of God's good promises had failed (Joshua 21:44-45).
- Deuteronomy 31:3-5 (BSB)“The LORD your God Himself will cross over ahead of you. He will destroy these nations before you, and you will dispossess them. Joshua will cross ahead of you, as the LORD has said. And the LORD will do to them as He did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, when He destroyed them along with their land. The LORD will deliver them over to you, and you must do to them exactly as I have commanded you.”Moses promises that the LORD and Joshua will cross ahead and that God will deal with the nations as with Sihon and Og.
- Deuteronomy 9:3 (BSB)“But understand that today the LORD your God goes across ahead of you as a consuming fire; He will destroy them and subdue them before you. And you will drive them out and annihilate them swiftly, as the LORD has promised you.”Moses had already said that the LORD goes over ahead of Israel like a consuming fire.
- Joshua 1:2 (BSB)““Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore arise, you and all these people, and cross over the Jordan into the land that I am giving to the children of Israel.”After Moses' death, God commands Joshua to lead the people across the Jordan.
- Joshua 21:44-45 (BSB)“And the LORD gave them rest on every side, just as He had sworn to their fathers. None of their enemies could stand against them, for the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand. Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to the house of Israel had failed; everything was fulfilled.”At the end of the conquest, not one of God's good promises to Israel had failed.
Theological
Whom does 31:3 name as going over the Jordan before Israel?
Answer: The LORD Himself, with Joshua leading them
The transfer of leadership is framed by God's own leadership: the LORD Himself crosses before Israel and destroys the nations, with Joshua going ahead in keeping with God's word (31:3). The defeat of Sihon and Og serves as the precedent, and Israel is to carry out the commands given (31:4-5). The same assurance appears in 9:3, where God goes over like devouring fire. Joshua 1:2 records the charge to cross after Moses' death, and Joshua 21:44-45 testifies that none of God's good promises failed.
- Deuteronomy 31:3-5 (BSB)“The LORD your God Himself will cross over ahead of you. He will destroy these nations before you, and you will dispossess them. Joshua will cross ahead of you, as the LORD has said. And the LORD will do to them as He did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, when He destroyed them along with their land. The LORD will deliver them over to you, and you must do to them exactly as I have commanded you.”Moses promises that the LORD and Joshua will cross ahead and that God will deal with the nations as with Sihon and Og.
- Deuteronomy 9:3 (BSB)“But understand that today the LORD your God goes across ahead of you as a consuming fire; He will destroy them and subdue them before you. And you will drive them out and annihilate them swiftly, as the LORD has promised you.”Moses had already said that the LORD goes over ahead of Israel like a consuming fire.
- Joshua 1:2 (BSB)““Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore arise, you and all these people, and cross over the Jordan into the land that I am giving to the children of Israel.”After Moses' death, God commands Joshua to lead the people across the Jordan.
- Joshua 21:44-45 (BSB)“And the LORD gave them rest on every side, just as He had sworn to their fathers. None of their enemies could stand against them, for the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand. Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to the house of Israel had failed; everything was fulfilled.”At the end of the conquest, not one of God's good promises to Israel had failed.